She's Extreme Turns the Tables on Fireburn in Champagne

She's Extreme was forced to play second fiddle to Fireburn in the Inglis ATC Sires' Stakes (G1) but she finally got the better of the dual group 1 winner when she added the first top-flight victory to her resume in the April 16 Moet & Chandon Champagne Stakes (G1) at Randwick Racecourse and in the process wrote another thrilling chapter in the extraordinary story of Newgate Farm-based sire Extreme Choice.

Trained by Anthony Cummings, who provided the first leg of a double for the Cummings family, with his son James saddling Cascadian  to win the All-Aged Stakes (G1) later on in the afternoon, She's Extreme has performed admirably all season. 

After finishing second in the Furphy Sweet Embrace Stakes (G2) in February, the filly then broke her maiden in the Cellarbrations Magic Night Stakes (G3) in March before finishing seventh behind the Gary Portelli-trained Fireburn in the Longines Golden Slipper Stakes (G1) a week later. 

Having run a brave second in the Inglis Sires' on April 2, Cummings said he was confident the filly would see out the 1600-meter trip given her dam, Keysbrook, was a winner at up to 2,100 meters and was also placed in the 2015 Schwepps-W.A.T.C. Derby (G2). 

"It was as simple as working her to her pedigree," Cummings said. 

She's Extreme leads all the way to win the Champagne, denying Fireburn the Triple Crown.@TommyBerry21 @CummingsRacing @aus_turf_club pic.twitter.com/elsj0ZVT8m

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) April 16, 2022

"With a stayer's pedigree, when you're working them for short races to try to keep them fresh, they can do it, but they don't do it as well. As soon as you flick the switch and you start to work them to their pedigree, they get stronger, and that's what she did." 

Fireburn was attempting to join an illustrious list of 2-year-olds to win the juvenile triple-crown, but Portelli—who was first to congratulate Cummings after the victory—said the slowly run race put paid to the daughter of Rebel Dane 's chances and she did not have enough left in her legs to run down She's Extreme, eventually going down fighting by 1/4 of a length. Williamsburg was another 5 1/4 lengths further back in third. 

"The winner was too good today," Portelli said. 

"It kicked on the corner, it was a slow-run race which was a worry and she just had too big a task to run it down." 

Having recently lost his best horse Libertini, who collapsed and died suddenly at trackwork, Cummings said She's Extreme's victory held extra meaning for him and his team. 

It was also a significant triumph for jockey Tommy Berry, who admitted he took the loss heavily when She's Extreme shot to the front in the Inglis Sires' last start, only to be mowed down by Brenton Avdulla on Fireburn. 

"When we got an easy time early (on Saturday), which we always looked like getting on paper, I didn't want to give Brenton any chance to get next to me. 

"I probably got Brenton's horse out of his comfort zone today and that was a winning move." 

She's Extreme was purchased by One Plus Investments for AU$32,500 (US$24,031) from breeders Aquis Farm via the Inglis June Late Online Sale in 2020, before being snapped up by her trainer for AU$275,000 ($210,774) from the Willow Park Stud draft at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale the following year. She is one of two winners produced from her dam Keysbrook (AUS) (So Secret ).